An epic collapse by the San Antonio Spurs brought plenty of criticism for multiple individuals, including veteran guard De’Aaron Fox and head coach Mitch Johnson.
Most believed Fox’s steal late in the fourth quarter could have sealed the game for the Spurs, who held a one-point lead with over 11 seconds remaining. However, instead of dribbling around to try to run down the clock and get fouled, Fox chose to drive for a layup, which was blocked.
That allowed the Knicks to recover the ball and then pull off a game-winning tip-in shot, leaving the Spurs just 1.2 seconds to attempt to respond. They were unable to get a final play off as Stephon Castle had the ball but didn’t release a shot before the buzzer.
And with that, much criticism is also being levied against Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson, with one analyst referring to the loss as the “the dumbest coaching” he’d ever seen in a game.
More news: Stephon Castle Explains Spurs’ Major Issue After Losing NBA Finals Game 4
“The dumbest I’ve ever seen in my life,” CBS Sports analyst Chris Walker said postgame. “Like there is zero excuse for that to happen … Dumb will get you beat more than smart will help you win.”
Walker also called Fox “abysmal” for his role in the Spurs’ poor late-game management and the resulting loss.
“And again Wemby carried him, but he needed the other guys to finish it up this game,” he said, also calling out the Spurs players for “jacking 3s.”
Walker said he was “dumbfounded” over what happened with the Spurs in their 29-point collapse. Many critical fans agreed, who also called attention to Johnson’s coaching in the game.
“A young unexperienced team needs a great coach. Unfortunately, the Spurs have a young inexperienced coach as well,” one commenter replied.
Another said, “I agree 100%. I was saying this all second half last night. I would fire him. I really would.”
“The saddest thing he’s been doing this ALL SEASON LONG. Just stands there and claps instead of making the most obvious adjustments or moves,” a commenter said.
Other commenters wrote, “Coaching staff not ready for prime time,” and “This whole thing is solely on Mitch Johnson who created a culture of mediocrity with no accountability.”
This is Johnson’s second season as head coach of the Spurs, and the most successful in terms of regular-season record and playoff run. He was previously an assistant under Gregg Popovich, became the interim head coach, and moved to head coach after Pop’s departure.
Johnson is 94-65 in his two seasons in San Antonio, but this is his first postseason and NBA Finals as a head coach. One has to wonder how long his tenure might last if the Spurs struggle next season, because this was clearly a catastrophe and poor game management down the stretch of a game they seemingly had in control.
Game 5 occurs in San Antonio on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET.
More news: Knicks’ Jose Alvarado Reveals Emotional Reaction to 29-Point Comeback Win
For more about the San Antonio Spurs and the NBA, visit Newsweek Sports.
Read the full article here
